Smilla’s Sense of Snow by Peter Hoeg 502 pages

Peter Hoeg is the most popular novelist in Denmark, and his most famous work is Smilla’s Sense of Snow. If you’re looking for an “intelligent” mystery with a strong, smart, somewhat bizarre female protagonist a la Lisbeth Salander in Girl With the Dragon Tattoo etc., Smilla Moritz is your girl. Single and 37 years old, she befriends a six year old boy, Isaiah, who dies one snowy night when he falls off the roof of the apartment building they both live in. The Danish police call his death an accident, but Smilla sees clues which lead her to believe he has been murdered. As she tries to figure out why anyone would want to kill Isaiah, she encounters an interesting cast of characters as she travels from Copenhagen to Greenland in an attempt to learn the truth.

Hoeg tells a good story. There are twists and turns throughout the novel, and Smilla’s life is in jeopardy often. There are a lot of characters to keep straight, and because Smilla is an expert in the formation and effects of snow and ice, there are parts of the book where there is more scientific description than I thought necessary.

Hi Myrna-So good to hear from you. I read this because I’m going to Sweden and Denmark Sunday and I don’t think I’ve ever read anything by a living Danish author. Hope all is well with you and your family. Happy, healthy New Year. Nancy